Letter from W. H. Auden to H. W. Henze, July 15, 1966

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[Manuscript]

Kirchstetten (Westbahn)
Hinterholz # 6
N.Ö.

Dearest Hans:

Have decided my letter of yesterday was
zu nachgebig on the matter of tails.

[Figure: ]

He
means
tail
coats!*

I tell you as Poppa that you and
Chester & I have got to wear them.*
Das ist ein Befehl!!

much love
Wystan

Editorial

Responsibilities

Editor(s)
Elena Minetti
Transcription
Elena Minetti; Joachim Veit

Tradition

  • Text Source: Basel (Schweiz), Paul Sacher Stiftung (CH-Bps), Sammlung Hans Werner Henze, Abteilung: Korrespondenz
    Shelf mark: Auden, Wystan Hugh

    Physical Description

    • Document type: Letter
    • Material

    • Dickes, weißes Papier
    • Faltung: 1mal längs, 1mal quer
    • Extent

    • 1 folio
    • 1 written page
    • Dimensions: 298x210 [mm] (HxW)
    • Condition

    • gelocht
    • Layout

    • Rand: 4,2 cm

Writing styles

Text Constitution

Commentary

  • "N.Ö."abbreviation of "Niederösterreich".
  • "… July 15 th . 1966"This letter is definitely written the day after the letter of 14 July 1966, because Auden again refers to the three authors’ wearing tails for the premiere of The Bassarids in Salzburg.
  • [Figure Description]An arrow in pencil, pointing from Henze’s note on the margin to the word “tails”.
  • "… He means tail coats!"Henze perhaps added this explanation for archival reasons, similar to the bracketed dates he occasionally added to the undated letters from the librettists, or with a view to the possible publication of the correspondence.
  • "… have got to wear them."The three authors of The Bassarids discuss how to dress for the premiere of their opera in Salzburg on 6 August 1966. Auden’s idea was to dress in tails, because all artists who have to bow on stage after the performance have to wear tails, according to his understanding. See Auden’s letter on 14 July 1966.

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        Credits

        By courtesy of the Estate of W. H. Auden.

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        Copyright by the Estate of W. H. Auden.

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